Phoenix among shortest commute times of large metro areas, US Census shows

According to newly-released data from the U.S. Census, Phoenix has the shortest average commute time of the twelve largest U.S. metro areas, at 25.9 minutes per trip.

Los Angeles clocked in at 29.2 minutes and New York City fared worst, at 35.6 minutes. Compared to the Valley, drivers in the Big Apple spend more than three extra days in traffic each year.

Susan Tierney with Valley Metro says around 21 percent of Valley commuters carpool or vanpool at least once a week. Light rail has continued to expand, and Tierney says the system has seen an increase in ridership every year since it opened in 2008. Maricopa County employers with more than 50 employees are also required to implement trip reduction programs.

"That combination of different solutions is allowing us to have more capacity on our freeways," she said.

If you want to speed up your commute in the HOV lane, visit ShareTheRide.com
to learn more about carpooling options.

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